Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-08-20

The subject of irrigation has becoma one ot the most interesting because of its necessity, that Is to-day before ina American people. The subject of lrrlga- tion, of riparian rights, as well as n, drainage and the proper distribution of waters where rainfall IS plentiful. has been discussed through the press by onr aDlest men, and has been the subject of discussion and Legislation in our state and national legislatures.
 The Prairie Farmer, ID its issue of August 9th, has this to say: Intimately connected with the future of our great country, Is a subject little understood by DIne-tenths of the people, farmers or others, east of the Mississippi snd the Missouri, or by many living some dis lance west of these rivers. Yet the sub- Iect IS st great interest to every Ameri- cSn, because, about fOur-tenths-or nearly ons-hOit of the entire surface of the United States, excluding Alaska-Is incapable ct profitable cultivation under the natural conditions of rainfall. If one-tourth or One-twientieth of this srid half cen be made to excel iu food and other prod ucts the fertile regions of the MlssissippI Valley, and more proftably SO, 1t IS cerfainly of great interest to all cltizens, 10 buslness men, to statesmen, and especially 70 the surplus agricul- tuFal population m the older states, who are seeking for themselves or sons, new helds Tor labor and enterprise, and de- Slrahle homes for themselves and their families. As inhmate6 in n recent edi- tor.Rl, Inc subject of irrigation is inter- estilg, indeed important, to a very large class of cUltlyatoTs 10 all he older rain belt states even whore drGinsge IS one Of the lending agricultural improve ments, As already iutimRte6, in the moist climate os England and in many pieces on the continent, irrigation is the source Oi greatest and most profitable crops, and water rightly used, is very often the richest fertilizer thUt can be applied 70 tbe field"
 Orange Judd puts forward the theory shat lrrlgstIng farming IS the most de- sirab!e, and ID doing so truthfQlly re-
 marks:
 Tins statement will seem sIguiarly inexsct, it not foolish to very many of our re sders, es peclaily prepared 10 Rp-
 DreclBte II by having read last sum-
 mer's Notes Ey the Way. wIll even
 he !eers5 at by the great mass of people
 between the Atlantic and the Mississippi,
 simply end only because they do not
 understand 1t. We speak from 6 good l desl of examination of the subject last
 year and in Western Texas, in AriZo-
 nR. in Southern California. in New Mex Ico, in Colorado, in Utah, etc. "Seeing
 Is believing" If the seeing IS intelligent and unbiased. and especially if against
 ones preeonceived notions or opinions. The farmer who has Q soil containing | an abuDdaucs of all the needed elements,
 ID a proper state of fiBeness, cannot bu' deem himself happy if he have alvays 1 ready st hand the means of readily and cheaply supplying all the water needed | oy his soil and growing crops, just | when and ID just such quantities Bs Rr- needed. Happier stlll may be he #, | besides fearing no drought he has nc
 rainfall to interrupt his l6bors, or to in | jure his growing or harvested crops And happier still may he be when he | kno9s that he need have few if any of | years," and knows that the water he ad mits to his fields, at will, are freIghted | with rich, fertIlizing elements, usnally 1 far more valuable than to the growing crop than sny he can purchase and sup l ply at Ia costly rate-s cost that makes | serious iuroads upon the profits Of ma yorIty of farmers cultivsting the worn out or deteriosted soils. In the older states year by year. Fertilizers are slready often needed for the most profitable ] culture on many farms in Iowa, MInne-
 Sot6, Eastern Kansas and Nebraska, in Missouri, and In all states east of those named.
 In continuing he claims tha: be is | mskIng DO ''fancy sketch" but the
 statements are based upon actual obser-
 y8tion, upon a study of the soils, theiT conditions and wants. east and west
 during 8 long series of years, and upon
 8 firm scientific foundation. So much
 IS he impressed with these facts that he ] unhesitatingiy asserts, that If allowed | to-day to make a choice of a farm for l ais own future tillsge, among the best
 ID the rainfall states or among the best of those only cultivated by irrigation, | he would certainly choose the latter. This is with the understanding that rali- | gays have nov made such regions reaGl- | iy accessible to maTkets-msEkets as Sst better than those ID the east; and ! that there Is already so large cls-s of | intelligent, moral people settled Tn these regions and fast coming into them as to make society ss desirable as ID
 the older states.
 | This discussion ends with few facts ! Tn addition to what Is stated above, let | consider the points: lst. As shown Tn | the "Earth's Cr1st." chapter, all soils srt | formed from communicated rocks, with | A lIttle addition of organic matter. End. Crops.-all plants and trees-get most
 of theIr material for growth from the air through the leaves. (We need not here discuss the theory as to the derlvs- l ton of same of the nitrogen or othel | gases through the sapI. 3rd, A ton Of | earth carefully weighed and yielding a | ton of clover or other crop, VIII Welgh | more after the cropping than before.
 even tbough so covered that only pure | water is admitted. 4th. All crops and
 nlants need R soil in such condition that roots can penetrate it, These roots | act as braces to hold the upright
 sten-besring, which through tbelr
 myrieds of mouths absorb food from the
 air The roots also take up from the | soil the moisture, which es sap, circu-
 lstes through the stems, recelev
 ing the food gathered by the leaves, and carries and deposltes II | where needed for growth or repairs, just l as our blood carries tne oesoIFed ioou | particles and deposits them all over the body where needed for growth or repair
 or for producing warmth. But as crops
 used for food need some phospates, Iron, | etc to build up the framework (oones.
 and for other purposes, the sap must
 collect these needed mineral elements
 from the soil. 4tb. Two most important
 mineral constituents. the phosphstes
 and potash. are very poorly supplied ID
 most old soils. They have been carried
 off In:removed crops. in meat csrcases
 and dairy products, grown from the soil
 and they have been washed out of thos6 lands subject to drenching rains.
 6.h.-Apd Importsnt.-In the noun
 tnin valleys of the west, end on then
 clones. where the rainfall is very hghl
 at most. the fine soils csrrled down upoI
 and over them, usually abound largely
 ;n sll the necessary ingredients of the
 most fertile soil anywhere, and the more
 vsIuable soluble clements are not apo
 bsve not been washed out by rain!
 Tnnnipg through them and of into | s-oo,,s and riyers then to the ocean.